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Contact information


vasil.kostin@merton.ox.ac.uk

Vasil Kostin

MD

DPhil Student and Macular Society Scholar

Vasil is currently undertaking his DPhil, focusing on developing prime editing gene therapy for ABCA4-related Stargardt disease under the supervision of Professor Robert MacLaren. Vasil holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from Charles University and has been working as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Eye and Ear in the AI Ophthalmology Lab, where he focused on AI-based disease diagnostics from external eye photographs and the multimodal monitoring of Inherited Retinal Disorders.

During his studies, Vasil also participated in a humanitarian mission in Itibo, Kenya, and collaborated with the Innovation Center of Doctors Without Borders. Additionally, Vasil is part of the Young Advisory Body to the Ministry of Science, Research and Innovation in Czechia. He founded and leads the Summer School of Practical Ophthalmology, which educates final-year medical students and first-year ophthalmology trainees on practical examinations, pig eye surgeries, and more. Vasil is one of the youngest recipients of the prestigious GAMA 2 grant program, which focuses on supporting the verification of applied research and experimental development results, awarded by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic. He received one of the highest distinctions in Czechia – the Governmental Award for Gifted Students 2023 from the Government of the Czech Republic and the Ministry of Science, Research and Innovation.

Collaborators

Prizes & Research Funding

  • 2024 Government Award for a Talented Student for Achievements in Research (Czech republic)
  • 2024 4EU+ Alliance Grant for Student mini-grant 
  • 2024 World Summit Award – Young innovator under 26, shortlisted (TOP 30)
  • 2023 Forbes 30 under 30 – Czechia
  • 2023 4EU+ Alliance Awardee for Student mini-grant
  • 2022 EIT JumpStarter Grant from European Institute of Innovation and Technology
  • 2022 Young leader – SDG awards
  • 2022 Technology Agency of Czech republic - Programme of applied research, experimental development and Innovation grant
  • 2021 Hack for Healthcare Zürich – 1st place Innovation of 3D printed insulin pen and software for Doctors without Borders
  • 2020 Hack The Crisis Slovakia - 1st place - one of the biggest hackathons in Slovakia (over 580 participants)